1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of rear view mirrors for vehicles which will provide clear vision to the vehicle driver of the blind spot at the rear side edge of the vehicle which is out of the range of conventional rear view mirrors, and particularly deals with a rear view mirror assembly adapted to be fastened on conventional windshield visors which are adjusted on the visor from its stored or use position to reflect the area along the driver's side and adjacent the rear end of the vehicle that is normally out of the range of rear view mirrors.
2. Prior Art
Conventional rear view mirrors for vehicles are mounted on or above the windshield providing a line of vision through the rear window of the vehicle or are mounted outside the vehicle just forwardly of the driver's seat. The areas along the driver's side of the vehicle adjacent the rear end of the vehicle are out of the viewing range of such mirrors and a troublesome and dangerous "blind spot" prevents the driver from viewing an oncoming vehicle as it starts to pass on the driver's side. The oncoming vehicle is not seen by the driver until its front end is almost up to the driver's seat. Many accidents have occurred when the driver turns into the traffic lane of the oncoming vehicle because the conventional mirrors do not show this lane to be occupied.
Elaborate telescope-type rear view mirrors, cumbersome laterally extending mirrors and the like have been proposed to view this blind spot. However, the telescoping type mirrors require cutting holes through the vehicle roof, and they are too expensive to be practical, while the cumbersome laterally projecting mirrors block forward vision and project into adjoining traffic lanes sufficiently to provide a hazard.
It would then be an improvement in this art to provide rear view mirrors mounted on conventional vehicle windshield visors which are capable of giving a clear view of heretofore encountered blind spots to the driver of the vehicle without interfering with the use of the visor.